Coffey — Intercourse of Gaul with Ireland bnjore First Century. 101 



Thus in Lagiu I. : — 



From the day lie was slain (this is sooth) 

 even Cobthaeh Gael, with his thiity kings, 

 till the birtii of the Son of Maiy 

 is five hundred years ever pure. 



There came on the march to that slaying 

 Labraid and thirty hundred of the Dub-Gaill 

 in their battle-harness, warlike and staunch, 

 with their deep-blue lances. 



From those lances thenceforth 



were the men of Leinster called the Spearmen ; 



at the hand of the Dumb Exile, with hea\-j' disaster, 



by these lances Cobthaeh Gael was slain. 



In Lagin II. : — 



Labraid the Exile (full his number), 



by whom Cobthaeh was slain at Dindrig. 



came with a lance-armed host over the sea- water ; 



from them Lagin was named. 



Two and twenty hundreds of the Gall 

 came oversea having with them broad lances ; 

 from the lances that were carried there — 

 thence the men of Lagin get their name.' 



Among the iron spear-heads found from time to time throughout the 

 country, there are some which are regarded by most collectors as the 

 immediate successors of the bronze spear-head. Their often unsightly or 

 fragmentary state causes them to be neglected and thrown aside by the 

 amateur. They may, however, be generally distinguished from the Noi-se 

 or Danish spear-heads also found in the country ; and the La Tene character 

 of some of them is clearly marked. I think we are justified in regarding 

 fig. 1 as an example of the broad blue lances from which Leinster took 

 its name. It is 13 inches long, and must have been 4J inches broad ; the 

 exact place of finding is not recorded, but it was found in Ireland, probably 

 diu'ing the Shannon excavations. Fig. 2 is a good La Tene spear. It was found 

 at Corofin, county Clare, and is the property of Mr. Mark Pattison ; the 



' Edward Gwynn, llie Metrical Dindslienclias, part ii., R.I. A. Todd Lecture series, vol. iv., 

 pages 51 and 53. 



